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Will it ever level out? :(

I have an oversupply. My 3 month old is gaining weight like a champ (he is just about doubled his birth weight at 3 months), we have about 12-14 wet diapers a day (cloth) and 1 huge poopie (yellow) diaper a day.

Now, he nurses about every 2.5 hrs during the day (it varies a bit), and then he sleeps for 8-9 hrs at night without waking up. Every morning I wake up with my breasts rock hard and my breast pads soaked through. He eats a large meal in the morning, but then I still have to pump in order to feel comfortable, and I get about 6-7oz AFTER he eats.

Re: Will it ever level out? :(

There are a couple of things you can do to make this less hard on you right now. And there is hope for actual really leveling it (it will at some point I promise usually around 6 months-ish).

I hate to say this, but the first thing you have to do is walk away from the pump. Your body basically works on demand. Every time you pump you are telling your body to make more milk. Sometimes, if it is unbearable you can pump just a smidge, but no more. It will be uncomfortable in the short term, but your best bet is block feeding.

Mothers who are working to remedy oversupply usually need to decrease supply without decreasing overall nursing frequency or weaning baby. One way to accomplish this is by "block nursing" - mom nurses baby as frequently as usual but restricts baby to one breast for a set period of time (often 3-4 hours but sometimes longer) before switching sides. In this way, more milk accumulates in the breast before mom switches sides (thus slowing milk production) but baby's nursing frequency is not limited.

Re: Will it ever level out? :(

it will get better!
I had oversupply and I blockfed and it worked.
I still had quite a lot until 6 mos or so...but now sometimes I miss all that abundance!

I'm Lisa,SAHM to M. 5/14/09 my velcro boy!

we made it to 19 mos!!! no end in sight
always and (I'd like to have a just LO and mom cosleeping smilie...)
food sensitivity to dairy,apple and orange
we just started to put cloth on
if I'm here I'm
love this forum!!!

Re: Will it ever level out? :(

Step away from the pump mama. You might pump 7 ounces out today, 6 ounces out tomorrow, decreasing it my one ounce every day until you stop pumping. When you pump, you're telling your body that you NEED that milk.

Re: Will it ever level out? :(

with the PPs. Step away from the pump. You can try decreasing the amount you pump gradually- 1 oz per day as suggested by the PP- or you can go faster and either pump the minimum necessary to restore comfort or not pump at all. The only way your body is going to get the message to stop making so much milk is if you leave as much milk as possible in the breast.

Hang in there! It takes a while to manage oversupply, but if you stick with it you should get where you want to go.

Re: Will it ever level out? :(

Originally Posted by @llli*mommy2lilah

Step away from the pump mama. You might pump 7 ounces out today, 6 ounces out tomorrow, decreasing it my one ounce every day until you stop pumping. When you pump, you're telling your body that you NEED that milk.

Sounds painful. And for you that baby sleeps so long at night.

ITA! If you need to pump, only pump what you need to feel comfortable. Unless you have a crazy larger amount than 7 oz in there, pumping that much will only tell your body to do it again, every morning.

Re: Will it ever level out? :(

Doing ok
I bought more absorbent breast pads ) So I wear them at night now.
I pretty much stopped pumping! Except for when I am away from Kai and its to replace the nursing session.
Still feel overfilled in the mornings, but I think its getting better!